SEO, a dynamic field of digital marketing, continuously evolves as Google updates its ranking algorithm to enhance the search experience for users. As a result, marketers have the opportunity each year to reassess the SEO trends that shape the search engine landscape.
In this article, we will explore the top 12 SEO trends to watch out for in 2023 and discuss how to align your strategy with them effectively.
Table of Contents:
- The Importance of Experience in E.E.A.T.
- Content Targeted Towards the Audience, Not Just Traffic
- The Growing Significance of Author Authority
- Creating Satisfying and Helpful Content
- The Rise of A.I. Content and Content Writing Software
- Embracing SEO Automation
- Changes in Click-Through Rates (CTR) Based on SERP Positions
- Optimizing Product Pages for SEO
- The Value of SEO Competitor Analysis
- Decreased Crawl Frequency
- Revitalizing Image SEO
- Prioritizing Fast-loading and High-performing Websites
The year 2023 places a strong emphasis on displaying expertise and value in content while providing high-performing web pages for users. Although these strategies have always been crucial in SEO, Google is continuously improving its ability to evaluate signals and identify content that meets these standards.
Let’s delve deeper into each trend to understand its significance and explore ways to meet these standards effectively.
1) The Importance of Experience in E.E.A.T. (Expertise, Authority, Trust)
Starting from December 2022, Google’s EAT (Expertise, Authority, Trust) acronym now includes an additional “E” – Experience. Google considers the firsthand experience of the author or creator when evaluating the content’s quality. This means that content creators should have real-world experience in the topics they discuss, ensuring authenticity and expertise.
2) Content Targeted Toward the Audience, Not Just Traffic
With the proliferation of SEO content creation, it is crucial to create content that caters to your target audience rather than solely focusing on driving traffic. Google’s algorithms have become smarter at identifying content that genuinely benefits the intended audience. Therefore, staying within your industry’s general topic and addressing relevant audience needs is vital for creating content that ranks well.
3) The Growing Significance of Author Authority
Google emphasizes the importance of author authority to combat the rise of auto-generated content ranking in search engine result pages (SERPs). Establishing the experience and authority of your content creators is crucial. Including author bios, creating author pages, and linking social media accounts help elevate the experience and authority of your content creators, proving that they are real experts in their respective fields.
4) Creating Satisfying and Helpful Content
Google’s “helpful content” update in August 2022 highlights the importance of satisfying users’ needs. Content should be created for humans, appropriate for the target audience, relevant to the website’s subject area, and demonstrate a depth of knowledge on the topic. Quality should take precedence over quantity, and keyword research should go beyond search volume to understand what types of content rank well and provide value to users.
5) The Rise of A.I. Content and Content Writing Software
While Google aims to combat auto-generated content, the use of AI content and content writing software is likely to increase in 2023. These tools can save time and streamline content workflows, but they should be used responsibly. Content briefs, outlines, and idea generators can aid content creation without compromising originality and user-centricity.
6) Embracing SEO Automation:
As digital marketers adopt enterprise SEO software platforms and tools, more SEO tasks will be automated in 2023. Keyword research, on-page optimizations, reporting, and data analysis are among the tasks that can be automated. However, it’s important to maintain a balance between automation and manual oversight to ensure the best results.
7) Changes in Click-Through Rates (CTR) Based on SERP Positions:
Google’s search engine results page (SERP) is evolving, with featured snippets, knowledge panels, and other elements changing user behavior and click-through rates (CTR). Marketers should track and analyze the impact of these changes on their CTRs to understand how their content appears on the SERP and optimize their strategies accordingly.
8) Optimizing Product Pages for SEO:
E-commerce websites and businesses with product offerings should focus on optimizing their product pages for SEO. This includes optimizing product titles, descriptions, images, and user reviews. Additionally, leveraging structured data markup and providing a seamless user experience can improve visibility and rankings for product-related searches.
9) The Value of SEO Competitor Analysis:
Competitor analysis is an essential part of SEO strategy. Understanding your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, their content strategy, backlink profile, and overall SEO approach can provide valuable insights for optimizing your own website and gaining a competitive edge. Tools and techniques for competitor analysis should be utilized to identify opportunities and refine your SEO tactics.
10) Decreased Crawl Frequency:
Google may reduce the frequency of crawling certain websites or web pages that have low-quality or thin content. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining high-quality content, regularly updating and improving existing pages, and avoiding content duplication or keyword stuffing.
11) The Impact of Core Web Vitals on SEO:
Google’s Core Web Vitals, which focus on website loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability, have become important ranking factors. Optimizing these aspects of your website improves user experience and can positively impact your search rankings. Monitoring and improving Core Web Vitals should be a priority in your SEO strategy.
12) Mobile SEO and Mobile-First Indexing:
With the increasing dominance of mobile browsing, mobile SEO and mobile-first indexing continues to be crucial. Websites need to be mobile-friendly, responsive, and provide a seamless user experience across various devices. Optimizing for mobile search intent and ensuring fast loading speeds on mobile devices are key considerations for SEO success.
Remember, this elaboration is based on the information available up until September 2021, so it’s possible that some details may have changed since then.